OPINION:
When you look at the statistics of the past 10 years, crime has been trending downward. Even with the increase in crime in the largely Democratic inner cities such as Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, the overall national trend of major crimes in America has been down until this year. But when the Democrats and the liberal media complain and disagree with Donald Trump as he talks about the fact we are now less safe, they miss the point.
We have a new source of the most dangerous type of crime in the form of terrorism. In the past, murder was the result of gang war activities, criminal elements committing robberies, etc. Now things have changed, as we have an unpredictable source of the worst kind of crime from radical Islamic terrorists. They commit horrific acts against random targets. It’s a new danger that, because of its unpredictability, increases the vulnerability of innocents going about their daily lives.
In the past, if you stayed out of trouble, away from drugs and illicit activities, the chance of being murdered or impacted by crime was extremely low. Now radical Islamic terrorists have changed the landscape and created a new kind of fear. We are less safe because everyone is a potential victim.
Furthermore, the increasing lack of respect for our law-enforcement officers and the courts is encouraging lawlessness. We must support our law-enforcement community and honor the sacrifice they make every day as they put their lives on the line. Without them, our civil society would falter and chaos would be the result. Blue lives matter. Mr. Trump is right again.
CHRISTOPHER S. MOODY
Gaithersburg
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